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he was. He knew he was within five steps of the stile leading into Widow
Douglas’s grounds. Very well, he thought, let them bury it there; it won’t be
hard to find.

Now there was a voice-a very low voice-Injun Joe’s: “Damn her, maybe she’s
got company-there’s lights, late as it is.” “I can’t see any.” This was that
stranger’s voice-the stranger of the haunted house. A deadly chill went to
Huck’s heart-this, then, was the “revenge” job! His thought was, to fly. Then he
remembered that the Widow Douglas had been kind to him more than once, and
maybe these men were going to murder her. He wished he dared venture to
warn her; but he knew he didn’t dare-they might come and catch him.

He thought all this and more in the moment that elapsed between the stranger’s
remark and Injun Joe’s next-which was“Because the bush is in your way. Now-
this way-now you see, don’t you?” “Yes. Well there is company there, I reckon.
Better give it up.”

“Give it up, and I just leaving this country forever! Give it up and maybe never
have another chance. I tell you again, as I’ve told you before, I don’t care for her
swag-you may have it. But her husband was rough on me-many times he was
rough on me-and mainly he was the justice of the peace that jugged me for a
vagrant. And that ain’t all. It ain’t a millionth part of it! He had me
horsewhipped!- horsewhipped in front of the jail, like a nigger!- with all the
town looking on! HORSEWHIPPED!- do you understand? He took advantage of
me and died. But I’ll take it out of her.” “O, don’t kill her! Don’t do that!” “Kill?
Who said anything about killing? I would kill him if he was here; but not her.
When you want to get revenge on a woman you don’t kill her-bosh! you go for
her looks. You slit her nostrils-you notch her ears like a sow’s!” “By God, that’s-
” “Keep your opinion to yourself! It will be safest for you. I’ll tie her to the bed.

If she bleeds to death, is that my fault? I’ll not cry, if she does. My friend, you’ll
help in this thing-for my sake-that’s why you’re here-I mightn’t be able alone.
If you flinch, I’ll kill you. Do you understand that? And if I have to kill you, I’ll
kill her-and then I reckon nobody’ll ever know much about who done this
business.” “Well, if it’s got to be done, let’s get at it. The quicker the better-I’m
all in a shiver.”

“Do it now? And company there? Look here-I’ll get suspicious of you, first thing
you know. No-we’ll wait till the lights are out-there’s no hurry.” Huck felt that
a silence was going to ensue-a thing still more awful than any amount of
murderous talk; so he held his breath and stepped gingerly back; planted his
foot carefully and firmly, after balancing, one-legged, in a precarious way and
almost toppling over, first on one side and then on the other. He took another
step back, with the same elaboration and the same risks; then another and
another, and-a twig snapped under his foot! His breath stopped and he listened.
There was no sound-the stillness was perfect. His gratitude was measureless.
Now he turned in his tracks, between the walls of sumach bushes-turned
himself as carefully as if he were a ship-and then stepped quickly but cautiously
along.